Chronicle Spring 2011 by Rick Rivers

THE CHRONICLE OF STRAKE JESUIT COLLEGE PREPARATORY

SPRING 2011

B U I L D I N G M EN F OR OT HERS F OR 5 0 YEA R S

Table of Contents The class of 1980, pictured here with some of The Shacks in the background, had its collective foot in two critical decades. They began their Jesuit days in the 70’s, during which the school recovered from its financial crisis, and

Features SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY SECTION The Duty to Dream The 1980’s

ended it in the 80’s as the school, now on sound footing, began to plan for

p. 4

the future.

Departments President’s Message - 2 News from 8900 - 10-14 Principal’s Perspective - 15 Athletic News - 17 - 20 Ignatian Spirituality - 21 Alumni News - 23-25 Class Notes - 26 - 27 Births - 27 In Memoriam - 27 By George - 28

Spring 2011 Vol. 43, No. 3 Editor Rick Rivers, Director of Communications Contributors Fr. Daniel K. Lahart, SJ Richard Nevle Vince Santos ‘83 The Chronicle of Strake Jesuit College Preparatory (USPS 024165) Vol. 43, No. 3, Spring Edition, is published quarterly by Strake Jesuit College Preparatory, 8900 Bellaire Boulevard, Houston, TX 77036. Periodicals Postage Paid at Houston, TX. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Chronicle of Strake Jesuit College Preparatory, 8900 Bellaire Boulevard, Houston, TX 77036-4699.

President Fr. Daniel K. Lahart, SJ Principal Richard Nevle Director of Development NJ Santarcangelo ‘67 MISSION STATEMENT To assist young men in their formation as leaders and as Men for Others through a program of rigorous college preparation in the tradition of the Society of Jesus. ON THE COVER - Still with his youthful appearance in the early 1980’s, by then the school mascot George had become an integral part of the school experience. He was a fixture on the sidelines at home football games as well as at pep rallies.

Features SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY SECTION The Duty to Dream The 1980’s

ended it in the 80’s as the school, now on sound footing, began to plan for

p. 4

the future.

_________________PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

fact, I think it is safe to say that the Jesuit network is the

Recently I attended a retreat for board members at

largest private school network in the world.

Loyola Marymount University

in Los Angeles. This university

We are fortunate to live in Houston, a city that offers

dwarfs Strake Jesuit by most any

many wonderful educational opportunities. Most of our

Recently we offered admission to the Class of 2015.

admitted students will have wonderful choices for their

measure – a campus four times our size, an enrollment ten times

schooling. And while Strake Jesuit may not be the perfect

our own. Their depreciation allowance

fit for every student, it is not just one school among equals

is larger than our entire annual budget. Yet I felt right at

either. What we offer here, and the tradition that we are a

home as they spoke familiar words at the retreat.

part of, is truly unique.

Finding God in all things. Men (and women) for Others.

All those familiar words and phrases from that LMU

Service. Faith. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises. Mission.

retreat are more than mere words. Finding God in all

things. Men and Women for Others. Service. Faith. Spiritual

This experience reminded me of an important truth

about the connectedness of Jesuit schools. Strake Jesuit

Exercises of St. Ignatius. They are at the heart of our

might be 44 acres on Bellaire, but we are part of a global

mission, the heart of what we do here every day, the heart

network of schools, sharing a 450-year-old tradition of

of our dreams and visions.

Jesuit education.

Leadership Center, grows out of our Jesuit mission. The

There are 59 other Jesuit high schools and 28 Jesuit

Our most recent dream, the new Retreat and

colleges and universities in North America alone. (Note

retreats we will offer there, and the opportunities for

the list on the next page.) Around the globe, you will find

student growth, team building and leadership, will be

Jesuit educational institutions—over 3,700 of them—

unparalleled in our history. We look forward to using this

serving students and communities in similar ways. At

new facility next school year. Please follow this exciting

Strake Jesuit, we know this first hand. We have had

story on page 10.

students whose parents attended Jesuit schools in India,

Columbia, Mexico, Argentina, Ireland, Australia, and

Thank you for helping us fulfill our dreams for our

Germany among others.

students as we fulfill our mission every day.

We cannot do all that we do every day by ourselves.

At our Open House, I always welcome students to Sincerely,

Strake Jesuit, but I also welcome them to Jesuit education and our worldwide network. If you wear a Strake Jesuit shirt as you travel, you stand a good chance of being

Daniel K. Lahart, SJ

stopped along the way and asked about it. They might not know our school in Houston, but they will know Jesuit education and will then tell you their stories about their own Jesuit schools.

We are truly blessed to be a part of a network of

schools as large and as well respected as Jesuit schools. No other Catholic school system is as extensive as ours. In

JESUIT HIGH SCHOOLS IN NORTH AMERICA WITH FOUNDING YEAR Arrupe Jesuit High School - Denver (2003) Belen Jesuit Preparatory School - Miami (1854) Bellarmine College Preparatory - San Jose, CA (1851) Bellarmine Preparatory School - Tacoma, WA (1928) Boston College High School (1863) Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School - Indianapolis (1962) Brophy College Preparatory - Phoenix (1928) Canisius High School - Buffalo (1870) Cheverus High School - Portland, ME (1917) Christ the King Jesuit College Preparatory School - Chicago (2008) Colegio San Ignacio de Loyola San Juan, PR (1952) Creighton Preparatory School - Omaha (1878) Cristo Rey High School - Sacramento (2006) Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory School of Houston (2009) Cristo Rey Jesuit High School - Chicago (1996) Cristo Rey Jesuit High School - Baltimore (2007) Cristo Rey Jesuit High School - Twin Cities - Minneapolis (2007) De Smet Jesuit High School - St. Louis (1967) Fairfield College Preparatory School - Fairfield, CT (1942) Fordham Preparatory School - Bronz, NY (1841) Georgetown Preparatory School - North Bethesda, MD (1789) Gonzaga College High School - Washington, D.C. (1821) Gonzaga Preparatory School - Spokane, WA (1887) Holy Family Cristo Rey - Birmingham, AL (2009) Jesuit College Preparatory School - Dallas (1942) Jesuit High School - New Orleans (1847) Jesuit High School - Portland (1956) Jesuit High School - Sacramento (1963) Jesuit High School - Tampa (1899) Loyola Academy - Wilmette, IL (1909) Loyola Blakefield - Towson, MD (1852) Loyola High School - Montreal (1896) Loyola High School - Detroit MI (1993) Loyola High School of Los Angeles (1865) Loyola School New York (1900) Marquette University High School - Milwaukee (1857) McQuaid Jesuit - Rochester, NY (1954) Red Cloud High School - Pine Ridge, SD (1888) Regis High School - New York (1914) Regis Jesuit High School - Aurora, CO (1877) Rockhurst High School - Kansas City, MO (1910) Saint Ignatius College Prep - Chicago (1870) Saint Peter’s Preparatory School - Jersey City, NJ(1872) Scranton Preparatory School (1944)

Seattle Preparatory School (1891) St. Bonaventure’s College St. John’s, NL, Canada (1999) St. Ignatius College Preparatory - San Francisco (1855) St. Ignatius High School - Cleveland (1886) St. John’s Jesuit High School and Academy - Toledo (1965) St. Joseph’s Preparatory School - Philadelphia (1851) St. Louis University High School (1818) St. Paul’s High School - Winnipeg, Canada(1926) St. Xavier High School - Cincinnati (1831) Strake Jesuit College Preparatory (1960) University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy (1877) Verbum Dei High School - Los Angeles (2005) Walsh Jesuit High School - Cuyahoga Falls, OH (1965) Xavier College Preparatory High School - Palm Desert, CA (2006) Xavier High School - New York (1847) JESUIT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN NORTH AMERICA WITH FOUNDING YEAR Boston College (1863) Canisius College - Buffalo (1870) John Carroll University - Cleveland (1886) College of the Holy Cross - Worchester, MA (1843) Creighton University - Omaha (1878) Fairfield University - Fairfield, CT (1942) Fordham University - New York (1841) Georgetown University - Washington, D.C. (1789) Gonzaga University - Spokane, WA (1887) Le Moyne College - Syracuse (1946) Loyola University Chicago (1870) Loyola University Maryland - Baltimore (1852) Loyola Marymount University - Los Angeles (1911) Loyola University New Orleans (1912) Marquette University - Milwaukee (1881) Regis University - Denver (1877) Rockhurst University - Kansas City, MO (1910) Saint Joseph’s University - Philadelphia (1851) Saint Louis University (1818) Saint Peter’s College - Jersey City, NJ (1872) Santa Clara University (1851) Seattle University (1891) Spring Hill College - Mobile, AL (1830) University of Detroit Mercy (1877) University of Scranton (1888) University of San Francisco (1855) Wheeling Jesuit University - Wheeling, WV (1954) Xavier University - Cincinnati (1831)

A DUTY TO DREAM

The 1980’s

Excerpts from We are SJ - 50 Years of Strake Jesuit College Preparatory by Robert Cremins

In the very early ’80s, the signs were indeed auspicious. In 1980, our alumni

endowment fund was established, enrollment rose to 593 students, the library added its 20,000th book, and a new president, Fr. Edgar Maresma, SJ, arrived on campus. The following year, Fr. Maresma’s interest in the school’s patron saint, St. Stanislaus Kostka, led to the rediscovery of his statue “packed away in the maintenance shed.” Alumni News expressed the wish that, now that he was proudly on display again, “St. Stanislaus’ dedication to his ideals and his commitment to his goal despite obstacles [which included his family’s resistance to his Jesuit vocation] can prove an inspiration to our students.” A more contemporary icon was the De Lorean DMC-12 sports car, which was t he g rand pr ize i n t he raff le at a fund-raising dinner held in September 1981. Appropriately, the “Dream” was won by one of the school’s oldest friends: George Brueggeman, Sr. Six years later, at another dinner, Mr. Brueggeman was honored by our Board of Directors for

On retreat in 1980.

al l that he had done to help keep the Strake Jesuit dream alive. The De Lorean sports car would

be immortalized later in the ’80s in the Back to the Future movies, but in 1981 Strake Jesuit was all about going forward into the future. SJET was helping to take us there. “The purchase of 10 RCA color televisions this past summer,” reported Alumni News, “completes the replacement of the older black and white monitors in the classroom … [T]he outmoded dial access audio system [has been] removed and a new ITT intercom phone system … installed in the control room.” T he advent of computers, however, was t he rea l si g n t hat we we r e p a r t of t he br ave ne w t e c h nolo g ic a l wor l d . O u r h a r d w a r e c on s i st e d

o f “ t h r e e C R T t e r m i n a l s … c o n n e c t e d t o a … c e n t r a l p r o c e s s o r ” a n d “ [ t ] w o s m a l l d e s k- t o p c o m p u t e r s , e a c h w i t h d i s k s t o r a g e a n d p r i n t e r .” (By way of contrast, today our computer labs alone can boast over 150 PC workstations in five labs.) Our facilities were also improving the old-fashioned way: brick by brick. For 20 years, temporary buildings (or “shacks,” as they were more often called) had been a necessary eyesore on campus, but in the 1980s they would disappear for good. “One of the most exciting events this semester,” reported Alumni News in December 1982, “was the demolition of the old, condemned theater building so construction could begin on our new Theater.” This new home for the Southwell Players, along with the four-classroom 500 Building, was in use less than a year later. The theater’s inaugural production was “a quality performance of My Fair Lady” (Alumni News), directed by Sally Barbay. In 1987, the school broke ground on an even more ambitious building, “a twostory brick [structure] encompassing approximately 13,000 square feet” (Alumni News). This new “faculty/student service” center provided much needed space for operations ranging from the Dean of Students Office to the Counseling Department. Named in honor of William T. Moran, the building was funded by generous gifts from Mrs. Moran and her grandson, Pat Moran ’66. However, these were also anxious years for the Jesuit mission on Bellaire Boulevard. No school is an island—especially not this one. The oil slump of the 1980s hit Houston hard, and that downturn resulted in reduced financial circumstances for many Strake Jesuit, or would-be Strake Jesuit, families. The

Aerial view, 1986.

freshman class of 1987 was the smallest in many years. Some other Catholic schools would not survive these lean years. SJ did. R ichard Nevle, who was appointed assistant principal in 1983, offers these insights into our survival: “Our enrollment turned around in the ’90s because Houston climbed out of the oil slump and Strake Jesuit’s efforts at advertising and more aggressive

admissions work—which had begun in the ’80s—began to pay off.” So, even though our numbers were (relatively) low, morale was high. With the arrival of Fr. Billy Huete, SJ, in the summer of 1984, we gained a youthful and energetic new principal. In 1985, the school celebrated its silver anniversary year, and a Jesuit publication praised the mission for having “a freshness and enthusiasm at 25 years.” Morale was further boosted in the fall of 1988, when students had “the thrill of seeing a helicopter land on a soccer field” (Alumni News). That aircraft brought a very special visitor to campus: Fr. Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, Superior General of the Society of Jesus. In an inspiring speech, he urged Strake Jesuit students to “take command of your own development, of your personal formation. Be actors and not just spectators.” The students of the 1980s would prove time and again that they were no mere spectators when it came to their education and their school community. They poured their enthusiasm not just into the typical curricular and extracurricular activities but also into unusual pursuits, for this was the golden age of the eccentric pastime. In 1984 alone, an eclectic student could choose to join the Sesquipedalian Club, the Ultimate Frisbee Organization, and the Beer Can Collectors. Music remained a passion for many SJ students, though the means for listening to it had changed. Eight-track was out, and CDs were in. In fact, CDs were so much the rage that in 1988 students collaborated in an effort that alumni mention more often than any other event of the decade. It beca me k now n si mply as “ Note Card Mania.” The prize, offered by local radio station KRBE, was a jukebox filled with those precious CDs. According to the 1988 yearbook,

Jim Braniff ‘88 filing out one of 270,000 note cards that earned Strake Jesuit a jukebox “ T h o u s a n d s a n d filled with CDs. thousands of cards were filled out daily as Mr. Carola drove the Jesuit students into a frenzy not often seen on this campus.” SJ won the challenge by filling out a staggering 270,000 cards. Cross-town rivals were no match for a student body determined to be actors and not just spectators: “The bigger schools were in no shape to challenge the manic

industriousness that is a hallmark of a [ Jesuit] student.” The CD jukebox occupied a proud place in our cafeteria until it died of electronic causes, though the CDs themselves were rescued by that great guardian of school history, Tony Muniz ’87. Only one myster y st il l surrounds the legendar y jukebox. Eighties alumni often wonder why, when there was such a range of tracks available, the thing always seemed to be playing “Stairway to Heaven.” In the late 1980s, the world was changing rapidly. The thaw in the Cold War resulting from positive meetings between Presidents Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev became a veritable melting once the Berlin Wall came down in the

Jamming outside the Library in 1981.

final weeks of the decade. The “Berlin Wall” between Strake Jesuit and St. Agnes Academy had long since disappeared, but in 1989 this policy of “glasnost” (openness) seems to have extended to the airspace above the schools. One of Fr. Jenniskens’ peacocks took off from our campus and, unfortunately, landed on St. Agnes Academy’s transformer, electrocuting itself and cutting the power to our good neighbors right in the middle of their Madonna Day Mass. This mishap did not prevent the two schools from working ever closer to provide each other’s students with opportunities to take elective classes on the campus next door. Luckily, Fr. Kolvenbach’s takeoff and landing here were a lot safer than the poor peacock’s. Before he left campus on that historic day, he gave our students not only a holiday, but also the gift of a carefully worded summation of their mission: It is the right and even the duty of the young to dream. You must dream of the kind of person you want to become. You must dream about the role you will play in helping transform the earth into a place of justice, love, and peace. You must dream of transforming yourselves into Men for Others. You must dream of developing your full potential, the powers of your mind, the abilities of your bodies, and the compassion of your heart. Of course, it is not just the young who have a duty to dream; those entrusted with

the future of a mission such as Strake Jesuit have the same responsibility, and throughout the 1980s that’s exactly what those trustees were doing. Upon his retirement in 1987, longtime faculty member Phil Smelko commented that through his many years of service at SJ, “I always felt as though I was working with rather than for someone.” Work i ng w it h each ot her, t he st udents, facu lt y, staff, and fam i l ies of Strake Jesuit ensured that the 1980s were successful years in their own right and an important part of the foundation for the expansive years to come.

PRESIDENT’S PROFILE Five Jesuits have held the full-time position of President over the school’s first 50 years. Within a year or two, each of their terms spanned an actual decade. This Profile will feature the President associated with the decade featured in this special section.

Fr. Edward Maresma, SJ President from 1981-1990 Fr. Edward Maresma, SJ served as Jesuit’s third President beginning on January 1, 1981 after serving as a Theology teacher at Jesuit for one year. A native of New Orleans, Fr. Maresma graduated from Jesuit High School in New Orleans. He then earned a BBA from Loyola University in New Orleans, an MA in Philosophy from St. John Vianney Major Seminary in East Aurora, New York and his STL degree in Moral Theology from the Gregorian University in Rome. He entered the Society of Jesus in August 1967 and did two years of Novitiate training at St. Charles College in Grand Coteau, Louisiana. He taught Theology for one year at Jesuit High School in New Orleans and then studied theology at Milltown Institute of Theology in Dublin, Ireland from 1970 to 1973. He was ordained a priest in June 1973 and studied for the Licentiate in Sacred Theology for two years at Gregorian University in Rome. From 1975 to 1979 he taught Theology at Jesuit High in New Orleans before coming to Strake Jesuit.

TRADITIONS SOPHOMORE CHRISTMAS GIFT PROJECT Since the late 1980s, each Christmas the Sophomore class takes up their BEAR (BE A Resource) Christmas Gift Project. Fr. J.B. Leininger, SJ lends a hand in 1990 (left) collecting gifts and (below) the results of this year’s efforts were tremendous. As it does each year, the month-long project concludes at the Immaculate Conception Mass when the gifts are collected in the foyer of the Parsley Center before being loaded on trucks for delivery. Each sophomore receives one child’s card request which contains the name, gender, age (from 1 yr to 18 yrs) and a wish list of up to 3 items in the order of preference. The students then try to fulfill at least one of those wishes on the list.

ALUMNI FIELD DAY/ALUMNI GAMES For years (if not decades) Alumni have retuned to the Strake Jesuit campus to ‘relive their youth’ and particpate in athletic games and contests. In the 1980s (right top) the event was called Alumni Field Day and pitted Alumni class against Alumni class in a variety of contests where points were awarded for the results. The day eventually evolved into Alumni Games, as it was held this year in December (bottom right), where alumni from various sports return to school and play a game in that sport. The events include soccer, lacrosse (pictured here), basketball and water polo.

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NEWS FROM

CONSTRUCTION UNDERWAY ON RETREAT & LEADERSHIP CENTER

Earth is being moved, concrete is being poured and walls are going up as construction has begun on the Strake Jesuit Retreat & Leadership Center. This exciting project will provide the school a facility that very few schools in the country can claim - its own location for all retreats and other activities. Located less than two hours north of Houston off I-45 in Leon County, the center will be located on just under 70 acres of donated land. With rolling hills and natural features including water and trees, it is a magnificent location and will provide the perfect backdrop for reflection and contemplation away from the bustle of the city. The first part of the construction process was the clearing of some trees, expansion of a small, creek-fed lake, and the grading of an access road. In early March, construction of the first set of buildings began. Those include the Dining Hall and eight individual cabins. With those facilities expected to be complete by early summer, the Center will be ready to host retreats and other group activities by the start of the new school year. Construction will continue on the other structures which will include a Conference Center, Chapel, Bunkhouse, a Jesuit & Faculty House and an outdoor Pavilion. If things progress as expected, the entire facility will be complete by the summer of 2012.

Top to bottom: One of the eight cabins under construction. View from site of the Dining Hall, across the lake to the area where the cabins are located. View from the of the Dining Hall to the top of he hill where the Chapel will be located.

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NEWS FROM ANNIVERSARY BOOK WINS DESIGN AWARDS Strake Jesuit’s 50th Anniversary Book, “We Are SJ”, earned two awards including Best of Show at the 49th Annual American Advertising Federation-Houston ADDY Awards held on Saturday, February 19. The publication earned a Gold Addy and a Best of Show - Print in the Collateral Material Book Design category. As a Gold Addy winner, the book will automatically compete in the AAF District Ten competition. The ADDY Awards is the advertising industry’s largest and most representative competition, attracting over 50,000 entries every year in local ADDY competitions. The book, written by former faculty member Robert Cremins, was designed by BrandExtact, a Brand Consulting and Development firm headed by Bo Bothe ‘88. A limited number of copies of the book are still available for $40. To purchase one or more books on the school web site click on the Book in the Quick Links.

BIG BASH SET TO CLOSE OUT 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION Mark your calendar, call the baby-sitter, dust off those dancing shoes, send that leisure suit to the cleaners and prepare to PARTY! We’re going to celebrate the first 50 years of Strake Jesuit through the 60’s and 70’s and all the way to 2011 and bring this anniversary year to a rousing close. The fun will take place on Saturday, May 7 beginning at 6:00 pm with a Mass in the Parsley Center. Afterwards, the party begins in the Moran Dining Hall with a reception & dinner. Following a brief program, which will include a short video, “Humble Beginnings,” which highlights the school’s first decade, the party really gets started. It will be time to dance the night (and the years) away to the music of the last 50 years! Don’t wait for the invitation to arrive in the mail, consider this a formal invite. You can make your reservations now online. On the school web site click on the 50th Anniversary Party button under Quick Links.

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NEWS FROM

EIGHT BAND & ORCHESTRA MEMBERS SELECTED TO ALL-STATE GROUPS Eight Jesuit members of the

Strake Jesuit/St. Agnes band and one orchestra member were selected to the 2011 Texas Private School Music Educators Association’s All State Band and Orchestra. They were selected by audition from a pool of over 30 private high school music programs. The AllState Band and Orchestra, of which they were members, performed a concert on January 29 in the Evans Auditorium at the Texas State University, San Marcos.

All-State Band members are: senior Sebastian Kawar-tuba junior Jonathan Vachon-alto saxophone junior Gabriel Janer-alto saxophone junior Beau Guedry-clarinet freshman David Culbreth-trumpet junior Daniel McMinn-trombone junior Max Westhoff-trumpet

All-State Orchestra member is senior Simon Lee-cello

JESUIT DEBATERS EXCEL AT HARVARD TOURNAMENT The Strake Jesuit Debate Team competed at the Harvard National

LONGTIME FACULTY MEMBERS GILBERT & HORN SET TO RETIRE

Two of the longest serving faculty members still teaching have announced their retirement at the end of the current school year. Jim Gilbert and Bob Horn have decided it is time to pass the baton. Gilbert arrived on the Strake Jesuit campus in 1968 expecting it to be a relatively brief stay. “I intended to stay a few years and then get my doctorate in Art History,” he recalls. “I have never considered leaving Jesuit. I have learned a lot in my 40 years at Jesuit. I would not change any of it.” Aside from teaching Art History, Mr. Gilbert is known best as serving as the man behind SJET since the late 1970’s. Bob Horn arrived in the early 1980’s as a young math teacher and soon became the swimming and water polo coach. “Fr. J.B. Leininger, SJ first showed me around a campus in 1982.” Horn recalled. “The main parking area was lined with temporary buildings which served as classrooms, Jesuit residences, the chapel and faculty lunchroom and offices. They stood where Moran Hall and the 500 building and theater stand now. I’ve enjoyed seeing the school grow and change. However, mostly I’ve Jim Gilbert (top) in his first year of 1968 and enjoyed the opportunity to work today and Bob Horn (bottom) in his first year of with the Jesuit students for the 1982 and today. last 29 years.”

Tournament in late February. There were 350 debaters at the event representing 25 different states. Top Jesuit competitors were junior Clay Spence, sophomore Jeremy Dang, and

Congratulate Mr. Gilbert and Mr. Horn on their many years of service to Strake Jesuit! You can e-mail them at jgilbert@strakejesuit.org and rhorn@strakejesuit.org.

junior John Heizelman. Spence placed in the top 30 debaters, Dang was in the top 20, and Heizelman placed ninth. Heizelman was also recognized as the second place speaker at the tournament.

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NEWS FROM 40th SPRING FLING A RECORD SETTER On March 6 we celebrated the 40th anniversary of Strake Jesuit’s Spring Fling International Festival. By all accounts, it was a Spring Fling to remember! The day was perfect in every way. The weather was gorgeous, the turnout was fantastic, the food was delicious, the music had the crowd moving, and the games were a blast. This year saw the return of Fr. Leininger’s Jungle Safari game as well as many other new games and many of the old favorites. Fun was rampant across the campus – whether you were a child playing in Crusaderland, eating a fried snickers or rock-climbing, one of our dads or students selling or wearing tacky ties, a student playing casino games, a grandmother playing ping-pong with her grandson, or a shopper at our marketplace. There was something for everyone. Everyone was fired up and ready to roll from the moment Spring Fling kicked off. Fr. Lahart led a long list of great sports who took a turn in the Royal Flush – each subjecting himself to the flowing water. There was a non-stop crowd waiting for a turn. What a hit! The Strake Jesuit community really came together for this special event. Whether participating in Spring Fling by organizing a booth, volunteering for a shift, delivering gift cards or food, or simply sharing time with friends, the entire community really stepped up. Our Strake Jesuit community is the reason the day was such a success and it is one of the things that makes Strake Jesuit so special. The day culminated in the much anticipated Raffle drawing for a 2011 Toyota Rav 4, Flat Screen TV and $1,000 Gift Card. Raffle proceeds go towards supporting the school’s financial aid program, which gives over $1.1 million in aid to over 120 students. A record amount in excess of $230,000 was raised, and all classes exceeded 100% of their class quotas. Without a doubt, Spring Fling 2011 was a great day for Strake Jesuit and a wonderful celebration of our community and its diversity. If you could not make it this year, you will want to be there next year. Spring Fling 2012 will be here before you know it.

From the very first Spring Fling in 1971 (top) to where it is today (bottom), the event has grown to become the largest community-wide event at the school.

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NEWS FROM

NINE NAMED NATIONAL MERIT FINALIST

Each of the nine Strake Jesuit seniors who last fall was named National Merit Semifinalists has been named as Finalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program. Each will now be eligible to be one of 8,400 Merit Scholarships winners from the more than 15,000 Finalists. The winners of the scholarship offers will be notified this spring. The nine are:

Alan Albrecht

Ryan Lord

Alex Bartram

Andrew Best

Matthew Meece

George Taylor

Sean Sculley

Matthew Lacamu

Christopher Than

SENIOR LEE PERFORMS AT CARNEGIE HALL Senior cellist Simon Lee performed in Weill Hall at New York’s Carnegie Hall on March 6. Lee, along with St. Agnes musician Sophia Dao, won the American Protégé Competition with their recording of Shostakovich’s Cello Sonata in D minor op. 40. The pair participated and won the Houston Young Artist competition. By recommendation of their private instructor, they recorded a DVD and submitted their performance to the audition committee of the American Protégé International Piano and Strings Competition 2010. The competition attracted applicants from across the US, China, Korea, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Canada, Romania, Hong Kong, Republic of Georgia, Australia, Israel and Costa Rica. Simon Lee and Sophia Dao at The winners of the event performed a concert held at Carneigie Hall in March. Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.

PRINCIPAL’S PERSPECTIVE Since so many older high school students can clearly pass for adults it is hard for parents to see them as they often see themselves–anxious, powerless and confused. After all they drive cars, travel the world, hold down jobs and handle physics and calculus with very little difficulty. They appear to have everything under control–and that’s how they will answer when asked. “Don’t worry about it, I’ve got everything under control.” It is frustrating to understand why youngsters who are blessed with so much talent and so many resources hold themselves back for years at a time, and then suddenly explode and throw their heart and soul into a project, and very often a career. For some the explosion takes place in their first years of high school–for others this lift off may not take place until they are in their thirties–but when it happens, the best thing for parents to do is step back, stay out of the way and watch their son become a man. The psychologists who could find the switch that turns on this burst of confidence and commitment would enjoy not only fame but fortune as well. Sadly there is no such switch; growing up and taking charge does not have an agenda. A number of things have to happen and not in any particular order. Confidence comes from achievement, but to achieve requires taking a risk and taking risks requires confidence. Making a dream a reality depends on having a dream, but dreaming requires self-knowledge and adolescence and a good part of adolescent life is finding oneself. There is a beautiful line in Proverbs that tells us that “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” One of the great challenges to the whole of American education comes not from the schools, but from society. When poverty is intense and systemic, it is difficult for youngsters to see beyond the powerlessness of their present situation– they are more than poor–they don’t even have a dream. Likewise when education is reduced to training, then where do students learn to think, to wonder and to dream? While we cannot find the switch to illuminate the darkness of a dreamless world, we can introduce youngsters to the importance of having a vision. The materialistic and consequently fatalistic society in which our children are growing up cannot begin to address this need to see beyond the horizon of the present

__ to envision what I can be–to what I am called to do, called to be both here and now– and ultimately. Listening to students share their dreams and confusions is hardly in the curriculum of most American schools. Some teachers can empower their students to dream and reflect, but what they are doing arises out of their sense that teaching is a ministry. They usually work without support from the institutions that employ them and from the families of the children they teach. When teachers and schools share the same priorities, there is a much greater chance of opening students’ minds and hearts. The advantage of a Jesuit education is that it presumes this need for vision and from a student’s first days at the school he hears that is part of something much greater than himself. He is challenged in his academic courses, and in athletic and extracurricular programs to find out how deep he goes. Confidence grows out of these challenges, as does a sense of self-worth, and the courage to dream. When he hears and meets an alumnus who has thrown himself body and soul into making life better, a student has a chance to see that people like himself, who themselves once sat nervously in the same classrooms he sits in, a spark ignites, a fuse is lit. Jesuit students spend a great deal of time in spiritual retreats as well; they are led by their teachers, both Jesuit and lay, and by their peers through a series of exercises designed to help them know and better understand themselves and their relationships with God, their families and their classmates. They are challenged to reflect and to dream, to search for meaning and to broaden and deepen their vision. Some students respond to the challenge to see the wider vision immediately, others draw on the memory of these events years later and take charge of making their dream, their vision, a reality.

Tee it high & let it fly!

Monday, June 13, 2011 at magnificent

Sweetwater Country Club Register Online at www.strakejesuit.org/scramble

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NEWS

ATHLETIC FOUR INDUCTED INTO ATHLETICS HALL OF HONOR

On Saturday, February 5, Strake Jesuit hosted its annual Night of Honor when it inducted four new members into the Strake Jesuit Athletics Hall of Honor. (The event in normally held in the fall but was moved this year to accommodate the schedules of some of the inductees.) The new members are George Bean ‘81, Corey Davis ‘90, longtime athletic booster Bob Pilegge, and former coach Tommy Nolen. The third such induction ceremony drew the largest crowd to date as almost 200 family members, friends and supporters were on hand. With their induction the Hall of Honor now includes 14 members including eight athletes, two teams, three distinguished individuals, and Nolen as the first coach. The highlight videos as well as the acceptance speeches of each of this Flanked by Athletic Director Bill McDonald (left) and school President Fr. Daniel year’s inductees can be viewed on the Lahart, SJ (right), the 2010 Hall of Honor inductees are Tommy Nolen, Bob school’s web site. To access, just click on Pilegge, Corey Davis ‘90 and George Bean ‘81. Hall of Honor in the dropdown menu under Athletics and follow the links. These four join the other members of the Athletics Hall of Honor Mike Janda ‘69, Mike Novelli ‘75, Eric Mullins ‘80, Chris Darkins ‘92, the 1976 Football Team, Br. Casey Ferlita, SJ, Ralph Sacra ‘69, Steve McConnell ‘78, Bill McArdle, and the 1976-77 Soccer Team. The Strake Jesuit Athletic Hall of Honor was created in 2008 to recognize and honor the athletes, coaches, individuals and teams that have made significant contributions to the Crusaders Athletic program.

Nominations for the Athletics Hall of Honor Being Accepted Nominations for the Athletics Hall of Honor Class of 2011 are now being accepted online until the end of April. To access the form and make a nomination, visit the school’s web site at www.strakejesuit.org and click on the Hall of Honor button in the Quick Links. The form gives the qualifications for selection as well.

news

athletic

SWIMMING & DIVING

SOCCER AND TENNIS TEAMS CONTINUE TRADITION OF SERVICE On Saturday, December 4, 2010, 26 soccer players representing all five Strake Jesuit soccer teams volunteered their time and worked with their hands for a change. The group traveled to a warehouse downtown operated by Christian Alliance for Humanitarian Aid, Inc. This organization gathers donated items from corporations throughout the nation, and negotiates distribution to areas in desperate need. Christian Alliance sent 7 shipping cargo containers full of aid to Haiti last week. Then, on Sunday, January 30, the Strake Jesuit Tennis Team continued its program’s long tradition of volunteering at Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen. For this, the 7th straight year of the team’s service project, 24 team members and 2 coaches participated. The team donated salad for the homeless including lettuce, tomatoes, and dressing as well as clothing and shoes. They then helped

The Jesuit Swimming and Diving team found themselves in a very competitive district in 2010-2011. Despite the challenge, the team competed well and several individuals had outstanding seasons.. In addition, the JV squad took their district title giving the team a promising future. “We were in an extremely tough district, but I was very happy with how we competed this year,” noted Head Coach Tom Walker. “We had some of our best times in a few years and we have some young talent that is promising for the future.” Sophomore Zachary Stockton had two recordsetting diving performances. He broke the school records for both a 6 Dive event and the 11 Dive event. The Crusaders entered the district meet as heavy underdogs, not seeded to make regions in any event. Against those odds the team posted their best times in almost all of their races and several members qualified for the regional meet. Among those were Stockton who placed 3rd in diving, Senior Gabriel Puccini who placed 6th in the 50 Freestyle, and the 200 Freestyle Relay team of junior Nate Zuiker, Zach Stockton ‘13 senior Chris Than, junior Allen Glass, and Puccini which placed 5th. At the regional meet Puccini finished 7th, three-tenths of a second from qualifying for state. The 200 Free Relay team finished 7th and Zachary Stockton finished 6th. Stockton, Puccini, Zuiker, Glass, and Than each earned All-District honors.

prepare a meal and served over 250 meals to the homeless on hand before assisting with cleanup and attending a Mass with the homeless.

Members of the Tennis Team prepare to serve a meal at Loaves and Fishes.

BASKETBALL The Crusaders basketball team returned eight players from last year’s region semi-finalist team giving them high expectations. After early season wins over Dallas Jesuit, St. Thomas, and national powerhouse Central Park Christian, Jesuit entered tournament play. After taking the Consolation title in the Aldine ISD Tournament, the Crusaders headed to Bethesda, Maryland and the Annual Fr. George Christmas Classic, an all-Jesuit tournament. The squad captured the tournament title with wins over Jesuit New Orleans, St. Ignatius of Cleveland, and host school Georgetown Prep. Then it was on to district play, which would not be a cakewalk. “District 19-5A is as strong as any district in the Greater Houston area,” noted Head Coach Wayne Jones. “The competition, night after night, is incredible.” Facing stiff competition in the likes of state-ranked Seven Lakes and Morton Ranch, the Crusaders would only drop one district game and capture with title with a record of 13-1.

NEWS

ATHLETIC

District MVP junior Rasheed Sulaimon

The tough schedule seemed to prepare them for another run in the UIL playoffs. In the bi-district game, the Crusaders were matched up against the Lamar Redskins. The game went into overtime with the Redskins coming out on top 5655. The Crusaders finished with an overall record of 26-4, 13-1 in district play and the district 19-5A Champions. They were ranked as high as #2 in the city and #10 in the state. Junior Rasheed Sulaimon was District MVP as well as 1st Team AllDistrict along with junior John Gillon. Senior Michael Felton was selected 2nd Team All-District and Wayne Jones was named Coach of the Year in the district.

WRESTLING The Jesuit Wrestling team had a banner year, reaching tremendous team and individual milestones. As a dual squad, the Crusaders clawed their way to among the top ten teams in the state with their success at state duals in January. They defeated some top programs including Cinco Ranch, Katy Taylor, Cy Woods, Klein Oak, Cy Fair and a tie with the Klein Bearcats. Seniors Phillip Posway and Sean Sculley and junior Marc Henning qualified for state and made quite an impression. Henning defeated a star wrestler from the eventual state champions and Sculley pinned the undefeated Region 1 champion. Senior Kyle Hamilton won the Ranger Classic at Dallas Jesuit and planted the top three Region 2 wrestlers on his quest. Sculley, Hamilton, Posway and Henning have joined an elite group, earning a place in the “100 + Sean Sculley ‘11 pinned the eventual state victories club” over their career. Their photos will champion at the State Wrestling Tournament grace the trophy case for years to come. Henning returns for his senior year ranked as one of the top wrestlers in the state and has a chance to break the school record for victories. There is also tremendous talent returning next year and the team looks forward to improving on an incredible season.

CRUSADERS AND EAGLES COME TOGETHER FOR GOOD CAUSE It is not often that high school student athletes can put an age old rivalry to rest for an hour but Strake Jesuit College Preparatory teamed up with St. Thomas High School to co-host the first ever Challenger Basketball game on January 8, 2011. With a crowd of family and friends filling the bleachers and the Crusaders in green and Eagles in red the game went off without a hitch. Much of that due to the honorary coaches Wayne Jones from Strake Jesuit and Danny Evans from St. Thomas as well as a very cooperative athletic staff from both schools. With varsity basketball players towering over the Challengers, these special children learned to handle the ball and scored basket after basket. The score soared into triple digits as the Challengers felt a part of a basketball team for the first time in their lives! With megaphones and pom poms, spirited cheerleaders taught the little ones to shout, cheer, and shake courtside and they loved entertaining the crowd. As the game ended everyone enjoyed the meal as they visited and planned for the next Challenger event.

Strake Jesuit junior Rasheed Sulaimon gives an assist to one of the young Challenger players

MJ SAM, WESTON NOVELLI SIGN WITH RICE Seniors M.J. Sam and Weston Novelli each signed with Rice University on the NCAA’s National Letter of Intent Signing Day in February. Sam will play football for the Owls while Novelli will run Cross Country and Track. Sam served as a captain of the football team as a junior and a senior. He was also an All-District Defensive Lineman selection as a junior and senior. Novelli had an outstanding career at Jesuit. In Cross Country he was District champion in 2009 and 2010, Region III runner up in 2009, Region III 3rd place and 18th at State in 2010. He was a member of four District championship teams, two Region III Championship teams and a member of the State’s 4th place team in 2010. In track he finished 2nd in District in the 3200 M.J. Sam and Weston Novelli signed with Rice meters, 3rd in District in the 1600 meters and 3rd in University on the NCAA’s National Letter of Intent Region III in 3200 meters all in 2010. Signing Day in February.

IGNATIAN SPIRITUALITY____

“Do you love me?” “When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He then said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.” John 21:15-19

by Fr. Flavio Bravo, SJ

Recently I caught a brief clip from the Fiddle on the Roof movie on the TCM movie channel. The classic scene centers on Tevye and Golde in the kitchen. Tevye asking Golde: “Do you love me?” And Golde’s smart mouthed answer: “Do I what? After twenty five years you ask me this? Maybe it’s indigestion!!!” The complete scene is a sardonic and yet, wonderful look at long term commitment and tradition. I could not help to think of my parents who recently celebrated 52 years of marriage. I could see my mom and dad asking themselves the same question and both pointing to what they have done for each other over the years: cleaning the house, doing laundry, preparing meals, providing for food and shelter, paying the bills and raising the children. And yet, the question continues to be vital among newlywed couples and those who have shared the bonds of marriage and family for decades: Do you love me? Pondering further, I was brought to the biblical image of Jesus and Peter and their “Do you love me?” exchange. Praying this passage right after breakfast, in the cool of the morning and just barely finishing my first cup of coffee, Jesus turns to me and asks: “Do you love me?” Ouch! burning my tongue with the hot coffee I exclaimed: “Do I what? “Jesus, what are you asking? It’s probably indigestion!” With Jesus’ voice echoing in my heart and frankly, puzzled by the question, I try to diffuse the weight of the question with matters at hand so I walked away to the

office. In the Spiritual Exercises, in the Contemplation to Attain Love, St. Ignatius of Loyola writes that love ought to be shown more in deeds than in words. In my own prayer, I have come to understand this meditation pointing to the chief characteristic of God, which is utter graciousness towards his creatures. God, who loves us and creates us, shares his life and goodness with all his beloved creatures. All through the Exercises, we are confronted with a God that shares his gifts and labors for us and with us. Yet, at such outpouring of love, we often run and seek to diffuse the reality of being loved unconditionally. So convinced was Ignatius from his experience that God is pure graciousness and love that in a letter to Fr Simon Rodrigues in 1542 he writes: “... it seems to me in the light of the Divine Goodness that ingratitude is the most abominable of sins... For it is a forgetting of the graces and blessing received that we sin. As such it is the cause, beginning, and origin of all sins and misfortune.” “Do you love me?” God asks of you and me. What do we respond as we encounter today’s challenges? How would you respond today and what would you say when you hear Jesus’ voice inviting you to deepen your love and expand your heart with gratitude and generosity? In the mean time, with my heart filled with gratitude I invite us all to surrender and break the awkward silence and say: “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”

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NEWS

ALUMNI DR. TONY GARCIA-PRATS ‘94 RECEIVES IGNATIAN AWARD AS ALUMNUS OF THE YEAR

Dr. Tony Garcia-Prats ‘94 was recognized on Saturday night, February 5 as the recipient of the 2010 Ignatian Award as the Strake Jesuit Alumnus of the Year. At the annual Night of Honor dinner, that also included the induction of four new members into the Athletics Hall of Honor, Garcia-Prats accepted his award after being introduced by Principal Richard Nevle. The Ignatian Award is annually bestowed upon a Strake Jesuit Alumnus who meets the following criteria: his life exemplifies the academic, religious, and social values of the Jesuit tradition; outstanding generosity to the community; professional achievement contributing to the advancement of his area of expertise, and he exemplifies a Man for Others. The youngest recipient Along with Mr. Nevle and Fr. Lahart (far right) Dr. Garcia-Prats was welcomed by some past of the award since it was recipients of the Ignatian Award including (left to right) Larry Mason ‘66, NJ Santarcangelo ‘67, first presented in 1984, Dr. Dr. Brian Parsley ‘74, Dr. Joe Mike Piazza ‘72 and Ray Albrecht ‘72. Garcia-Prats is an assistant professor of pediatrics with the Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative (BIPAI), an internationally-renowned program of Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital that provides HIV/AIDS care and treatment to more than 30,000 children and families worldwide. Garcia-Prats has been a doctor with BIPAI’s Pediatric AIDS Corps since August 2006. He served in the Lesotho Children’s Clinical Center of Excellence through February 2009 and currently is leading a scale-up of the new BIPAI center in Mbeya, Tanzania. Just last year, Dr. Garcia-Prats received Chapman University’s highest honor – the Albert Schweitzer Award of Excellence. It is an award that has been presented to individuals or organizations that exemplify the spirit and philosophy of the late Dr. Albert Schweitzer, a philosopher, physician and humanitarian. Tony is the eldest of ten Garcia-Prats boys to attend Strake Jesuit. The youngest son of Joe and Cathy Garcia-Prats, Timmy, is a current student and a member of the Class of 2012.

Nominations for the Ignatian Award Being Accepted Nominations for the 2011 Ignatian Award are now being accepted online through the end of April. To access the form and make a nomination, visit the school’s web site at www.strakejesuit.org and click on the Ignatian Award button in the Quick Links.

NEWS

ALuMni

ROD GRAVES ‘77 WINS DIVERSTY AWARD

Jesuit alumnus and General Manager of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals Rod Graves ’77 was recently presented the Paul “Tank” Younger award for work in the area of promoting minority opportunities. Graves, who started as a scout with the Chicago Bears in the early 1980s, admitted he never thought he would have reached the position he now holds. “My father (Jackie) always instilled within me a basic philosophy of just working hard and trying to do things the right way, and let the rest of it take care of itself,” Graves said. “I was never focused on a level of achievement or certain position. I’ve just been blessed to be around people who were fair and gave me an opportunity.” “Tank” Younger, a one-time NFL star and Rod Graves ‘77 receives the Tank Younger Award the first African-American executive in the league, was from Arizona Cardinals team president Michael actually close friends with the Graves family. Bidwill . “I am deeply honored to be among the class of recipients that have gotten this award and I am particularly thrilled to get an award in the name of Tank Younger,” Graves said. “Tank represented a lot to the African-American community. We all aspired to be where he was.” Past winners of the award include former coaches Tony Dungy and Bill Walsh, Steelers chairman Dan Rooney and Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome.

JESUIT HOSTS HOUSTON CROQUET CLASSIC TO BENEFIT SUNSHINE KIDS FOUNDATION For the third straight year, Strake Jesuit played host to the Houston Croquet Classic in March. The annual event is a fund-raiser benefiting the Sunshine Kids Foundation. Alumni Mike Riccetti ‘84, Gene Riccetti ‘86 and Mike Wells ‘84 served on the event committee and approached the school about hosting the event several years ago. The tournament takes place on the Gessner Field and the event includes lunch and live music.

NEWS

ALuMNI ALUMNI PROFILE:

HUNTER JAGGARD ‘96 by Vince Santos ‘83 who are living with MS exude such a profoundly positive outlook that is contagious. Hunter knows that keeping a positive attitude is crucial both to an individual and to a team. He credits Jesuit coaches Bill McDonald, Larry Finke, Willie Webster, and Mike Crowley with teaching him things that helped shape his character both on and off the field. “At Jesuit, my coaches who influenced me then are still there now, passing on valuable life lessons to another generation. They Hunter Jaggard ‘96 (left) and The Carney showed me how to live as Men (above). a Man for Others and in The Carney Men, we strive to be a Team for others.” Upon graduating from Strake Jesuit, Hunter obtained his degree at Texas Tech. He and his wife, Brittany, have been married for 4 years. They have a 15-month old daughter, Aubrie Joy, and welcomed the birth of daughter Savannah on March 14, 2011. The Jaggards live in the Houston area where Hunter works in commercial real estate. As a husband, father, and business man he is living the lessons he learned and has integrated them into the very fabric of The Carney Men. To work hard, not just as an individual but as a team, to pick each other up when they fall, and to keep the focus on all of the people that will benefit from the collective effort of being a team for others are ideas that form the foundation of their group. Hunter is resolute in his conviction, “Our goal is to ride the MS 150 every year until they find a cure so that we don’t have to ride any more.”

The end of February represents so much to so many. It marks the arrival of another Strake Jesuit Spring Fling. It beckons the start of March Madness in college basketball. For Hunter Jaggard ‘96, this time means that he is a little over a month away from embarking on his 7th consecutive pilgrimage from Houston to Austin in the annual MS150. And he will not be alone. Hunter’s younger brother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in late 2002. Hunter was determined to stand beside his brother and support him with more than just heartfelt words, but productive actions as well. By 2004 he had formed The Carney Men, named after a song played by Cross Canadian Ragweed, a southern rock band that holds a special place in the hearts of both brothers. The Carney Men is comprised of people equally committed to making a difference in the battle to eradicate multiple sclerosis. The initial team in 2004 contained 14 bike riders, half of which were from Strake Jesuit, and was able to raise $6,500. As the group prepares for the 2011 MS150, it is expected that their eight year fundraising grand total will surpass the $500,000 mark. When asked how The Carney Men have been able to generate so much success, Hunter hits the mark, “We do well because about 40% of our team has close, personal connections to the cause. Additionally, I always try to relay a message to the team that there will always be things in life that we can’t do anything about and have no control over; however, your attitude is not one of them.” Hunter adds that so many of the people he and the team meet

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CLASS

60’s

Louis LeBlanc ’66 and Don Blair ’69 met Father Don Bahlinger, SJ for lunch on December 17 at the Riverside Inn in Broussard, Louisiana. Don lives in New Iberia, Louisiana and Father Bahlinger is at Grand Coteau, just north of Lafayette. Louis was in the area to visit the gravesites of this parents.

Shane W. Hudson ‘93 married Brooke A. Webster on November 20, 2010 at All Saints Catholic Church in Houston. Rev. Billy Huete, SJ officiated the ceremony. Serge Hudson ‘89 served as Best Man. Also in the wedding party were Ted Gorman ‘93 and Ammie Blahuta SAA ‘98. The couple live in Houston with their dogs Ryno and Riley. Shane is a shareholder with the law firm of Fizer, Beck, Webster, Bentley & Scroggins.

Andy Dougherty ’96 and Vita Montalbano SAA ’99 were married on December 4, 2010 at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Houston. Chris Colemon ’96 served as Best Man and Ricky Nuila ’96 was a groomsman. They honeymooned in Belize in mid-February, and the couple lives in Houston where Andy is the New Media Coordinator for the Houston Texans.

00’s Owen Zidar ’04 is a staff economist for the Council of Economic Advisers for the President of the United States until August. He then goes back to the University of California-Berkeley to finish his PHD in economics. (Owen is far left in this photo.)

Vernon Caldera ’94 recently had a three page article about the Most Beautiful Room I Ever Saw published in Lonny Magazine, a national magazine from the editors of Domino.

80’s Andy Mihalick ‘89, his wife, Melissa and their three year old daughter, Lucy, welcomed twin boys Gus and Henry to their family on December 22, 2010. Andy and his family reside in Houston, Texas where he is a civil litigation attorney.

Richard Zientek ’95 his wife Leslie and their son Ethan welcomed the birth of their second son Blake Jacob on February 20, 2011. Richard continues to serve as Director of Transportation Issues for Harris County Judge Ed Emmett and Leslie is a second grade teacher in HISD.

90’s Richard McCarty ’92 and his wife Kelly celebrated the birth of their first child, Henry “Harry” Byron McCarty, on November 28, 2010. Richard graduated from University of Houston Law Center in May 2010 and began practicing intellectual property law with an international law firm in the Houston area.

John W. Bates ‘99 and Linda Hatler were married on January 1, 2011 in Houston. John received his Masters of Catholic Education from UST in May 2010. John and Linda both work at Strake Jesuit. Greg Keogh ’07 is a senior at St. Louis University finishing a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He spent last summer at an internship with National Oilwell Varco in Houston. He has also been active in competitions and has been successful at winning several.

Hunter Jaggard ‘86, his wife Brittany and daughter Aubrie, welcome the birth of Savannah on March 14, 2011.

WEST POINT CADET JEFFERIES ‘09 CARRIES FOOTBALL IN TRADITIONAL RUN Alex Jefferies ‘09, a cadet at West Point, took part in a decades-old tradition last December in which the academy’s marathon team runs from its home campus to the site of the annual Army-Navy game. He wound up with his picture on the front page of the New York Times. Jefferies and his teammates were escorted by two state troopers with flashing lights and a white van festooned with the hand-scrawled declaration “WEST POINT BEAT NAVY.” He was one of 16 young men and 4 women who would take turns carrying the ball over 20 hours and 179 miles, from the United States Military Academy in New York’s Hudson Valley to Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Cadets cheered the runners on their way at West Point. According to tradition, the ball must never touch the ground, for if it did, Army would surely lose. “They say no one’s ever dropped it,” Mr. Jefferies, 19, said after running about eight miles in an hour. “But my hands were numb and I couldn’t even feel the ball.”

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CLASS

~ IN MEMORIAM ~

Gerald Cruickshank ‘68 Brother of Peter ‘71

Michael Gruber ‘83

Malcolm Squyres ‘71 Brother of Tim ‘74, Dennis ‘76 & Danny ‘78 and Uncle of Kevin ‘06

Mary Louise Branden Mother of Albert ‘67 and Dennis ‘69 Robert Bucci Father of Luke ‘74 Mary Esther Burton Mother of Tim ‘75, Thomas ‘77, Chris ‘78, Cliff ‘83, and Doug ‘87 and Grandmother of Justin Ferris ‘04 Dorothy Claude Mother of Robert ‘74 and Peter ‘86 Charles Colemon Jr. Father of Chris ‘96 and Greg ‘99 Louise Cronin Mother of Michael ‘72 Polly Flinker Mother of Daniel ‘71

Fr. Michael Kennelly, SJ 1914 - 2011

Fr. Michael Kennelly, SJ, founding president of Strake Jesuit, passed away

on Monday, January 3 in New Orleans. At the time of his death he was the oldest member of the Province.

Fr. Kennelly was just 14 years old when he left his native Ireland and sailed

to America on board the S.S. Mauretania, the first of many adventures in a long, rich life. After living with an aunt and uncle in the Bronx and attending Regis High School in Manhattan, he continued his Jesuit education at Spring Hill boarding school in Alabama.

In 1933, he entered the New Orleans Province’s novitiate at Grand Coteau,

Louisiana. As president of Jesuit High School, Tampa, he oversaw that historic institution’s move to a new, greenfield site. He also served with distinction as president of Loyola University, New Orleans. In the decade between those two prestigious assignments, Fr. Kennelly served as Strake Jesuit’s first president.

When he arrived in Houston in 1959, a Jesuit high school was little more

than a dream; when he left in 1970, nine permanent buildings stood on campus. Fr. Kennelly has remarked on the “openness and enthusiasm” of the Houstonians who helped him make the dream a reality, and these are qualities that his legions of friends and admirers in Houston and the other cities where he worked noted in him. Saints of God, come to his aid!

James Imoehl Father of William ‘73

Hasten to meet him angels of the Lord! Receive his soul and present him to God the Most High.

Margaret Laflin Mother of William ‘68, George ‘72, Robert ‘74 and Chris ‘81

Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord, And let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. Amen.

Bernice Murphy Mother of Roger ‘70 and George ‘77 John O’Malley Father of Mike ‘79

~ BIRTHS ~

Joe H. Peters, Jr. Father of Steve ‘83, Kevin ‘84 and Rick ‘87

Henry “Harry” Byron McCarty on November 28, 2010 Richard ’92 and Kelly

Peggy C. Ruisinger Mother of Fritz ‘77

Gus and Henry Mihalick on December 22, 2010 Andy ‘89 and Melissa

Patricia Triche Mother of Richard ‘68 and Timothy ‘77

Blake Jacob Zientek on February 20, 2011 Richard ‘95 and Leslie Savannah Hunter Jaggard on March 14, 2011 Hunter ‘96 and Brittany

THE GYM GNATS The after school hours are often abuzz with what I like to call, The Flight of the Gym Gnats. They are the little ones; the young children of our Strake Jesuit faculty and staff. They are here because their parents are here. Sometimes it seems as if this school never closes. “Hotel Jesuit,” some will remark, “A hotel never closes.” And so, the young ones come and they all seem to like it here. Boys or girls, no matter; it’s a fun place for a kid to be. Look for the Gym Gnats. You will spot them in the stands or on the court or on the field. Mom or Dad may be busy with their campus duties, but the kids press on. Many have homework and they do it here; a bleacher bench will serve as a makeshift desk. Most just want to play. And the Strake Jesuit campus makes for a simply grand playground. It’s a good place for a game of kickball or even a bit of Hide and Seek fun. It’s even a good place to just “hang” with a big brother. For a very long time, Jesuit was a favorite hangout for Dave and Kathy Muras’ son, Brian. Then one day, he was old enough to enroll. I remember Brian as a brand new freshman. I asked him if he thought he was going to like the school. “I’ll like it just fine,” he replied. “I’ve already been coming here for most of my life.” I bet the same could be said for his brothers, Christopher and Sean. Basketball Coach Wade Summa’s kids Angel, Nathan and Claire are the newest of the Gym Gnats. You will see them, (where else?) at the basketball games. Home or Away they busy themselves with their high tech electronic games as Dad keeps a watchful eye from courtside. Elizabeth and Katie Broussard were not as high tech when they were little girls. Both girls are now in their twenties, but I still remember the fun they had playing with their My Little Pony dolls. That’s the one with the long purple mane and a tiny little comb. Oh, how those girls loved those ponies! Coach McDonald’s boys, Christopher and Benjamin have both graduated. They are big strapping young men now with young man interests. But I can recall a time, not so very long

ago, when Pokémon was their one and only interest. How they tried and tried (unsuccessfully) to teach me about all the various characters, their names and their magical powers. I wonder if the boys still have all their Pokémon stuff. Perhaps it is all now stored away in shoe boxes at the bottom of some dark closet. One day, say 50 years from now, their collection may become the featured find on Antiques Road Show. Matthew Kenny spent most of his youth in a Jesuit basketball gym subsisting mainly on Pizza, Gatorade and concession stand hot dogs. That boy may have seen almost as many Jesuit basketball games and practices as this Olde Crusader. But even with a coach for a father, basketball was not Matt’s game. As it turned out, he was a musician and a very good one at that. The Jesuit Band became his niche and he made a lot of friends among the band members. Matt is off to college now. I bet if he is still attending basketball games, it’s as a band member. We will all have the opportunity to watch Coach Clemons’ boy, Brandon as he grows up here at Jesuit. Over the years, he has collected a closet full of green T-shirts, most of which he has already outgrown. He is becoming quite a big boy now, and I see it, the youngster has a knack for athletics. I wonder how long it will be before I see him in a Jesuit football uniform. Little Anthony Castenzio Scalzitti may be the youngest Gym Gnat of all. He had a blast at the Spring Fling and I can already see that “the acorn did not fall far from the tree.” Like his dad Tim, I predict the boy will one day become a Strake Jesuit lifer. And so dear Gym Gnats ….I still hear the buzz….Is it the flutter of wings? Or is it simply time that is flying by? I know that I have left out quite a few of you that are now grown up. But I have fond memories of each of you when you were just a little kid on campus. You were special then and you are special now. To each of you, I pledge my shield and my sword.

George

1 of every 7 One of these students would not be at Strake Jesuit without support of the One out of every seven. That’s the number of Strake Jesuit students who receive tuition assistance from the school’s Financial Aid Program. Walk across campus on an average school day and it would be impossible to pick one of them out of a group of Jesuit students studying, playing frisbee in the Quad, in a theater production, or on one of the school’s athletic teams. Here they are simply Strake Jesuit students. The only difference is, without your support of the Strake Jesuit Annual Fund, there is a good chance that they would not have the opportunity to be Strake Jesuit students. Every dollar given in support of the Annual Fund makes it possible to provide this program that is so essential to the school’s mission. A part of that mission states that no qualified applicant is ever denied enrollment for financial reasons. If you have made a gift to the Strake Jesuit Annual Fund, thank you for helping to make a difference in a young man’s life. If you have not, please consider a gift today. Each gift, no matter the size, makes a difference. Simply use the envelope provided in the magazine to make a gift or online go to www.strakejesuit.org and click on the Strake Jesuit Annual Fund. If you have questions or would like additional information, contact N.J. Santarcangelo ‘67, Director of Development, at 713.490.8152 or njs@strakejesuit.org.

PARENTS, if you are still receiving your sonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chronicle although he no longer lives with you, let us know so we can change our records and send the magazine directly to him. If you enjoy reading the publication but do not receive a copy of your own, let us know that too. We would be glad to send a copy to your sonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new address and continue to send you one.

Strake Jesuit College Preparatory 8900 Bellaire Boulevard Houston, Texas 77036

Contact the Alumni Office at tscalzitti@strakejesuit.org or at 713.490.8153

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

April 10

Father-Son Breakfast

Fantasy Auction - Hearts of Gold

Spring Band Concert

Parent-Teacher Meeting

Holy Thursday Liturgy

Easter

NHS Mass & Induction

Awards Assembly

Spring Orchestra Concert

are you ready for THE WEEKEND?

May 1

Junior Cross & Ring

50th Anniversary Party

Empty Nest Presentation

Mentor Moms Breakfast

Baccalaureate Mass

Graduation

June 6

Summer School Begins Higher Achievement Program Begins

Scramble For up to date event information, go to www.strakejesuit.org

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If this is YOUR Weekend, mark your calendars now for September 16-18, 2011